The Satan Disciples’ started in the year 1959 by “King Satan” at the street corner of 15th and Talman in the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s west side (personally I think they formed back in 1958 but I have no evidence of that or testimony, I think this because most gangs started in this vicinity in 1958). They started on the east side of Douglas Park which was not a major African American neighborhood at that time. The vast majority of North Lawndale was African American by 1959 but the last of the white element was east of the park.

The Satan Disciples was founded mainly by Czechoslovakian and Polish white males and they took in Mexican youths too that made up about half the gang.

By 1962 the Satan Disciples were now found on 18th and California (Douglas Park) in North Lawndale as well as 24th and California in the Little Village section of the South Lawndale neighborhood. Right away in the early 1960s the Satan Disciples comprised of 50% or more Mexican members because the SDs were not a racist organization, they wanted the best they could find white or brown.

The original SDs fought against gangs like the Gaylords at 18th and Western, Ambrose at 18th and Throop or the Latin Counts from 18th street and Loomis. The Latin Kings did not have any territory or any foothold in any of the SDs sections back in the earliest years of the SDs existence; therefore, the show Gangland on history channel was not very accurate about SDs being formed because of the Latin Kings, it is total bullshit. The SDs did have conflicts with the Royal Kings of Little Village and the Near West Side, the Mexican Kings of Little Village and the Coulter Kings of Pilsen in the early 1960s that were all gangs that became Latin Kings by 1964, but the Latin Kings were not the number 1 reason for Satan Disciples coming together, there were larger threats from Ambrose, Latin Counts and Vice Lords that were much closer to SD turf.

SD sweater

The Gaylords had opened a section at 18th and Western back in 1958 to combat the arrival of Mexican immigrants to the Pilsen/Heart Of Chicago area. 18th street was especially under threat of being taken over by Mexican culture so the Gaylords were seen as a necessity there. The Gaylords got into it with Mexican and even white youths in that area and this prompted the arrival of the SDs at 18th and Oakley which was exactly 1 block away from the Gaylords. The two gangs used to duke it out by the railroad tracks over here back in the 1960s. The SDs would also slug it out the Artistic Kents (later known as Stone Kents) from 21st and Marshal BLVD. The SDs also fought with Vice Lords and Egyptian Cobras (Mickey Cobras) that tried to invade the other side of Douglas Park.

The original Satan Disciples were fairly well mannered and well dressed and even had their own band. The only time they were not well mannered is when they faced their enemies and that was when the horns would come out. Speaking of horns, the idea for the baby devil with horns with pitchfork came from old comic books gang members used to read; therefore, that was their new symbols along with an intimating name.

By 1964, Latin Kings began pushing their way into the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods. Latin Kings wanted 18th street in Pilsen and 26th street in Little Village and this did not fly well for the gangs that had already been there. The Latin Kings were able to set up massive territory along 26th street but 18th street proved to be a major challenge for them and that is partially credited to the Satan Disciples that held it down at 18th and Oakley and 18th and California and they would eventually spread to 18th and Rockwell in the North Lawndale neighborhood to further solidify their presence and keep Latin Kings out. The Latin Kings still were able to secure territory on 21-31st street all through Pilsen and Little Village but the SDs made it very hard for Latin Kings to exist there.

The SDs remained a very small fighting club in the 1960s but managed to keep all their turf accept 14th and Washtenaw but that is because efforts were needed more on 18th street. SDs did lose some numbers in the later 1960s due to some members getting drafted or enlisting to serve in the Vietnam war; however, those members were replaced by younger Mexican youths but it still stunted the SDs ability to grow larger.

This was sent in. Some orginal SDs from September 1968, you can see the date written at the top of the photo. This is an impressive picture with what looks to be the leader in the center standing up surrounded by the rest clutching a 40 ounce beer. He might be the founder King Satan but I don't know.

In 1971 or 1972 many of the white Satan Disciples began to either retire or move out of the Pilsen, Little Village and North Lawndale area because of “white flight” out to the suburbs. Also, the Gaylords established a peace treaty with the SDs and the Gaylord leader “King Fish” managed to successfully recruit several white members of the SDs. The SDs once again replaced those white members with Mexican youths; however, due to the loss of several white members the SDs remained about 60 strong and once again growth was stunted. It was also at this point in time in the early 1970s that “King Satan” was no longer the leader and “King Canary” took over. I have no idea what happened to King Satan, not sure if he retired, got killed or went to prison.

As the 1970s progressed Pilsen and Little Village became more and more gang infested and the gangs became more violent. The drug trade also became a larger phenomenon once the heroin trade exploded by 1970 on the streets of Chicago. Younger SDs began getting their hands on selling drugs and also carrying guns, after all, it became necessary to carry protection.

In the year 1978 a significant amount of Satan Disciples were now locked up in prison including some original members. On November 11, 1978 the Folk and People nation alliances were created in Pontiac Correctional Facility in a meeting directed by Larry Hoover who was the leader of the Black Gangsters Disciples. The purpose of this alliance was to organize the gang wars in prison and perhaps the streets. Hoover and David Barksdale had found allied white and Latino gangs throughout the 1970s to aide them in their wars with the Vice Lords and it was rumored that the Satan Disciples first encountered David Barksdale’sBlack Disciples back in the 1960s and friendship was established especially since Vice Lords were trying to conquer everything on the west side of Douglas Park in North Lawndale. A pre-existing relationship between BGDs and BDs made for a smooth transition into the Folk Nation alliance. The SDs’ biggest allies the Two Sixs and Ambrose also joined the Folk Nation which brought these gangs even closer together not only in the joint but on the streets as well. I am not totally sure on my dates for SDs drawing an alliance with Ambrose, they were arch enemies back in the 60s and at least a good part of the 70s especially after the leader of AmbroseLouis Limas shot Mark Rodriguez in the leg, and shot Fidel Perez at the corner of 16th and Fairfield in the North Lawndale neighborhood on October 19, 1974 (People vs. Rodriguez, 1980). Sometime after this shooting and maybe not until the Folk Nation was formed were Ambrose and SDs allies, but definately by the time both gangs were Folks in late 1978, they became allies in the streets.

Right after the SDs joined the Folk Nation, the first written constitution was drafted thanks in part to the influence of the BGDs. The Satan Disciples would now operate with bylaws to follow that laid out the proper conduct that all members must abide by. The biggest benefit of the bylaws was it permitted free enterprise so that all members were allowed at any point in time to open legit businesses just like how the Chicago Outfit did it since the 1910s, this was definitely a major perk to being a SD.

In 1980 or 1981 “King Canary” was no longer the leader of the SDs and Aggipito “King Aggie” Villalobos stepped into that role. I do not know what happened to “King Canary” but he was no longer in charge by 1981 is all I know. Under “King Aggie” the Satan Disciples opened up new territory throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s in other parts of the city, Chicagoland suburbs and other states as membership swelled into the thousands. “King Aggie” was able to run the organization even after he was incarcerated in 1983 for Armed Robbery. The Satan Disciples had now opened several more sets in the Heart Of Chicago neighborhood and several more in Little Village. I want to stop for a moment and explain something to the reader. I am a very technical writer and I am very technical about Chicago neighborhoods; therefore, I keep referring to SD hoods along 18th street as in the Heart Of Chicago neighborhood and not in Pilsen. The truth is the Lower West Side neighborhood is divided in two sections, one is Pilsen and the other is Heart Of Chicago but most people just call all of it Pilsen which is why the SDs are often considered to be a Pilsen gang. I can respect the fact that the SDs can be considered a Pilsen gang but being as technical as I am the Heart Of Chicago neighborhood is where SD turf is in this vicinity. The Heart Of Chicago consists of these boundaries, Western Ave to Ashland, Blue Island Ave to 16th Street, while Pilsen is Ashland Ave to Halsted Street and Cermak Road to 16th Street. With that being said the Satan Disciples pretty much completely dominated the Heart of Chicago neighborhood by the 1980s and even presently. Or you can say West Pilsen is mostly all run by SDs and has been ever since the Gaylords and Stone Kents left.

Many of Pilsen gangs have tried to conquer turf west of Ashland Ave but are often met with bullets and beatings which would then cause them to determine their conquest just was not worth the cost. The only gang that was ever able to contend west of Ashland in this area on 18th Street is the Bishops.

In the year 1988, Satan Disciples went to war with some of their fellow Folk Nation allies that started with a full scale war that erupted with the Two Sixs in the early part of the year. Beginning in 1982 Satan Disciples and Two Sixs were having tension between the two organizations. By 1988 both organizations erupted into an intense gang war after a series of shootings, once such shooting happened on February 29, 1988 when four Satan Disciples fired about 6 bullets at Two Six gang members playing basketball at 3542 W. Pershing (Pershing and St. Louis) in the Brighton Park neighborhood, one of them was killed. One of the intended targets was a Two Six leader according to court documents (People Illinois vs. Basden). Shortly after this war erupted, Satan Disciples went to war with Two Six allies such as: Party People, La Raza, Sin City Boys and Latin Souls.

In 1995 “King Aggie” was released from prison but he soon found he was not embraced by all of the SDs. Many SDs told “King Aggie” that he should not be the leader and that they wanted second in command Danny “Gizmo” Valencia to run the Satan Disciples as the new “King.” In November of 1995 “Gizmo” was shot and killed. It was said that his own gang killed him, more specifically “King Aggie” supporters and supposedly the hit was ordered by “King Aggie.” Because of this slaying “King Aggie” went intohiding for a while until the situation would die down, he was also told to step down from the leadership role. After that the Satan Disciples never had another “King.”

As the 1990s progressed the SDs had grown into several thousands of members becoming one of the largest street gangs in the city. Over time some sections would pop up while others would close down. The reason for the closure of certain sections was due to decisions to withdraw if an area was not profitable enough or if police presence was too strong. The SDs often function in a very organized crime manner and would only leave a turf if it was more profitable to invest more in another area. Using smart business sense the SDs had grown their profits, opened several legit businesses, retained original territory and opened new turf and eventually would grow to have almost 10,000 members.

Please send in 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s pics!

Questions:

What happened to King Satan, what year was he gone?

Did the SDs help out the Black Disciples back in the 1960s? If so what year and how?

Did the SDs form and earlier than 1959? If so what year?

Where did the Satan Disciples band play back in the 1960s?

What years did King Canary run the SDs?

What year did 18th and Oakley open?

What year did 18th and California open?

What year did 14th and Washtenaw open?

What year did the SDs open the following neighborhoods: Back Of The Yards, Archer Heights, Gage Park, Brighton Park, Little Village, Bridgeport, Canaryville, Marquette Park, Mckinley Park, Garfield Ridge, West Town, Cicero, IL?

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Instead of searching one site after another to piece Chicago street gang history together, you can come to Chicago Gang History to see the research Zook has done to compile everything into one source. Keep reading…